The big four
by Thornpaw of Clawclan
Summary: Jack the loner, Merrida the tomboy, Hiccup the bullied, and Rapunzle the pretty. An unlikely group of friends. As year eight students their lives are pretty normal, until they find out something about Rapunzle, and something they must right. As their friendship growls, and romance begins to blossom, Jack must make a horrible decision. Will they be able to save themselves?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

Lunch break. The part of the day most people looked forward to. The canteen was pearly white, delicious smells wafting down every possible corridor, and into every room.

Big groups of friends stood together. A cluster of giggly girls with make up to hand. Boys with hoodies, clearly showing the teachers they were breaking the rules. Little year sevens whispering together. Girls and boys reading or studying, those children were an endangered species.

And there was Jack. Sitting at his usual table, alone. He felt uncomfortable. A gang of girls were coming closer to him. Company never worked for him, most people acted as if he was invisible.

Sighing, he stood up and left, but as he was about to step out, he heard harsh laughter.

He came back in, to see most of the canteen grouped around a couple of year tens and a young looking boy with brown hair and skinny frame, he looked smaller than Jack, maybe year seven? The boy had what looked like the leftovers from somebody's meal on his front and was crouched on the floor in fear.

"Poor kid" Jack muttered, making his way towards the crowd. He wondered if he could help, he was tall, but he himself was skinny and could easily be beaten in a fight.

Suddenly Jack saw an angry looking red head with a mass of fiery curls push her way through the crowd and without hesitation punched one guy in the face.

"Leave off him right!" she said, standing in front of him, her face thunder.

The boy with the punched face reluctantly retreated.

"Hey!" another one said, pushing the girl. She answered by kicking him on the shin, he and the other ran off.

"You ok mate?" she asked, helping the boy up.

"Uh yeah, thanks" the boy said quickly, before running off.

Jack watched the girl stalk off by herself. He followed her, and walked beside her.

"Err..Hi..um, what you did there was quite impressive" he stammered.

She looked at him. "Yeah, well them idiots well deserved it". She paused. "I'm Merida, you?"

"Jack" he said.

"Well, see ya round"

"yeah..see you" Jack walked away. He looked back at Merida. He hoped he had a class with her, she looked like she was different from the others, but she looked feisty and fearless.

Maybe that was a good thing.

Well, whatever happened tomorrow looked better


	2. Chapter 2

A few weeks had passed since Jack had met Merida. He had at least two lessons a day with her, and enjoyed the red heads company.

He often went back to her home, where the two would practise archery together. Or they would go back to Jacks and ice skate.

As the first day of the new autumn term began to drag on, Jack was wondering the school yard, alone.

Merida had detention for shouting at the textiles teacher when she was told the girls had to make dresses and the boys had to make shorts. Jack knew the last thing Merida would stand for was sexism.

But he didn't have anyone to talk to, so he just aimlessly walked around. He turned a corner to see the small sheltered part underneath the uneven Tech building roof.

There was a boy there, a small boy examining leaves and scribbling in a book. His face looked fascinated. Then Jack realised why he seemed so familiar, he was the kid who was getting bullied in the canteen, he was the reason he met Merida.

The boy was alone as well. Jack stepped forward. "Ah! Erm, uh" the boy mumbled and gathered up what he was holding and pressed himself against a wall.

"Hey, its ok, I'm not gonna hurt you" Jack coaxed, crouching down.

The boy slowly came forward.

"I'm Jack, who are you?"

"Hiccup" he said uncertainty.

"Why were you so scared" Jack asked.

"Nobody really likes me very much" Hiccup murmured.

"Do you get bullied?"

"No, well…uh..yeah"

Suddenly a fiery red head turned the corner and smiled.

Jack grinned back, it was Merida.

"Hi! How was detention?" asked Jack, still smiling.

"Oh brilliant" she said sarcastically. "Ms Ellis droning on at me for hours" she groaned like she had been actually hurt.

"You know you were only in there for ten minutes"

Merida gave him a mock glare.

Jack heard Hiccup swallow.

"Oh Merra, this is Hiccup"

"Hi" Hiccup said shyly.

"Hiya kid" Merida smiled warmly.

"How old are you" she said, looking at his skinny frame.

"Twelve" he answered.

"Oh well, me and Jack are nearly fourteen" she said smugly.

"Oh shut up Merry" Jack nudged her.

"But that can't stop us being friends if you want" Jack offered.

"Really?" Hiccup looked hopeful.

"Sure, you can hang with us at lunch if ya like" Merida said kindly.

"Yeah, when those bullies see what Merida's made of they won't dare come near!" Jack nudged the red head fondly.

The bell rang.

"Oh rats! Filthy, stupid, long whiskered furry rats!" Merida cursed as they made their way over to where they all had a lesson. Science.

"Are you in our science class Hiccup?" asked Merida, as they made their way over the gravel to the green building. All the buildings and doors and timetables were colour coded to make it easier to find your way around.

"I'm in room S314" said Hiccup.

"So yep, you are" said Merida cheerily.

The three joined the queue at the back, and trailed in. Merida and Jack sat at their desk, and Hiccup sat at his at the back.

"OK, good morning students, toda…" Mr Philips was interrupted by Merida.

"Actually sir, its quarter past one, it's technically the afternoon" said in a matter of fact way. Some of the class giggled.

"Thank you Merida, but please do not interrupt me, unless you would like another detention, you had one earlier with Ms Ellis am I right"

"Too right sir" said Merida, biting her nails.

"For what, shouting at her?"

"Yup, well she was defying a human right!" said Merida.

Jack smiled at his friend.

"And what was that?"

"She didn't treat us like how she'd want to be treated sir, so I had to, to keep general law and order"

"I see" Mr Philips said, looking vaguely amused.

"Well today class, we have a new student, some of you may have met her before if you have been in her last two classes" he pointed his head towards the back.

The new girl had a long blonde hair that went past her waist, and pink earrings, necklace and bracelets, which certainly livened up the dismal navy blue school uniform.

"Would you care to introduce yourself"

"Ok! I'm Rapunzel, Hi!" she spoke confidently and very excitedly.

"Now this is Rapunzel's first time at a public school so please try to help her get used to it and not to make it difficult" said Mr Philips warily.

"So, last lesson I showed you how to grind up the cabbage and mix it with the dye, so grind it up, and put different dyes in with the method I showed you, your aim is to try and make it go red, which if you were paying attention, you should be able to work out"

Jack sighed. He and Merida had been having a deep conversation, and were definitely not paying attention.

"I'd like you to get into groups of four please, you can choose, but if I see anyone not focusing, they will be removed from their group, understood?"

Jack and Merida grinned at each other, then they made their way over to Hiccups table.

"Hiya" said Merida.

"Hi" said Jack.

Hiccup smiled warmly.

But when everyone was all in groups, the class had automatically not let Rapunzel join, and nobody had thought of joining Jack, Merida and Hiccup.

"Rapunzel, you can join them" Sir said, gesturing to the trio.

"Ok, cool"

The three bunched together as Rapunzel approached.

"Hi! I'm Rapunzel, who are you guys?" she asked, her eyes bright. Then she started staring at Jack.

"So…." She said after an awkward pause.

"I'm Merida, and these are my friends, Jack and Hiccup" Merida said boldly.

Jack grinned at her, and Hiccup seemed happy to hear those words spoken.

"Hi Jack" Rapunzel said quickly.

"Er…hi"

"Hey, are you working or chatting over there" Mr Philips called.

"Chatting sir" said Merida.

"Did you pay attention in the last lesson Hiccup?" asked Jack.

"Yes, but I didn't get it, did you understand what he meant about the dye?"

"Me and Jack weren't actually listening" said Merida.

"Well, I don't mind sitting in detention, you guys?"

"No problem by me" said Jack.

"Ok" said Hiccup, though it looked he minded.

"What's detention?" asked Rapunzel.

Merida rolled her eyes.

"So you've never been to a real school before" asked Jack.

Rapunzel blushed. "No, only super private ones, my mums kind of super protective

"Well I can't stand my mum either, she wants me to become girly" said Merida. "You know all too well right Jack"

Jack smiled; at least she was being friendlier now. "You know it! Still, at least she cares about you"

"Huh? What's wrong with your parents?" Rapunzel asked, concern clouding her green eyes.

"Nothing, its ok, its fine" Jack reassured her.

"Well, all right, how are you at, you know, your subjects, my mum makes me work ever so hard!"

"Jacks brilliant at English" Merida piped up.

"So are _you_"

"What about you Hiccup? You're quiet"

"Oh, well, I'm ok at tech actually, like, metal work"

Rapunzel sighed. "That sounds so awesome, mum says I'm too delicate for things like that"

"Aww, shame, metal work sounds seriously cool, especially when you have to use those great succour things..err what they called?" Merida rambled.

"Tin snips I think" said Hiccup.

"Yeah, them things" she said. "But I prefer games and P.E"

"Yeah, too bad we're on different teams" said Jack.

"Oh come off it, I always let you win anyway" she said fondly.

"I can't do games at all" Hiccup confessed.

"Well, that makes two of us" Rapunzel said cheerily.

"Yuck, can you smell that?" asked Merida. Jack sniffed. Yuck! Off cabbage. Science was the worst.


End file.
